It's The Holiday Season!

Wow. I have so much I can write about. This time of year is so busy and exciting! I absolutely love it. I love all the time we get to spend with family. And this year it is super awesome because it includes a lot of "Firsts" for Colson. Okay, I know he isn't super involved in things now, but it is fun for us to have these "Firsts" with a baby. Next year he'll understand more. Colson just keeps getting cuter and cuter. He really is just the happiest kid. He loves to laugh and his laughing comes pretty easy. I guess it comes easy since his mom and dad get pretty goofy to make it happen. He is getting so big! He can roll all over the floor now and is working on sitting a little bit. He is super good at grabbing things he wants now. He loves to hold on to things. He loves to look at mirrors. And he loves to talk to us. I am absolutely loving life right now. We celebrated Colson's first Thanksgiving with my family this year. We had a little Turkey trot that morning that we pushed Colson on. Then we had great food with everyone. Two days later we celebrated my dad's birthday. So it was an awesome family filled weekend.

Happy baby

Getting so big!

Grabbing and chewing

He holds his head so well!

Visiting great-great-grandma Beryl

Cool hat 1

Cool hat 2

Sleepy boys

First Thanksgiving!

It made his mouth water

We are getting super excited for Christmas now. We play Christmas music all of the time and we have our tree up as well. I have also been working slowly but surely on a winter favorite of mine. Making paper snowflakes. When I was little, I used to think that my family helped control the weather because it wouldn't really snow until we put our snowflakes in the windows and it didn't stop snowing until we took them down. Now I know we just had them up all winter ha ha! But the child in me still loves to make them and still insists that I can bring more snow by making more snowflakes. I know, most of you must hate me now, but that's okay. It's just who I am. I love winter because of snow. I love snow. So bring it on winter. Of course we are always keeping in mind the true spirit of the season. I love singing Christmas songs about the nativity to Colson for lullabies. Both Ben and I have told him the nativity story more than once. This year, the nativity story has taken on a little new meaning and perspective for me. I have my own beautiful and special and wonderful baby boy. And I think of Mary and her sweet special baby and I feel a connection with her. We live thousands of years apart but that doesn't change the way a mother loves her child. It doesn't change that Mary must have held and cherished that precious baby boy as I do mine. It doesn't change that she spent her days raising and teaching Him, sometimes without thought of herself. That she loved every precious minute she had with Him. That it was hard and overwhelming at times, but she wouldn't trade it for anything. Because she knew that her baby was the Son of God. Just like I know my baby is a son of God. I too wouldn't trade it for anything. Mary and I; we're mothers. And that is one of the best gifts I can ever receive.

Rocking the glasses

Having fun with daddy

Tree by day

Tree by night

Hanging out in bed

Cute outfit from Allie. The front of the shirt says "I dig auntie."

Cute baby boy

Paper snowflakes

Colson with Santa

Hanging out with Josh, Jazz, and Hannah

Just playing around.

We are loving life right now. We love having Colson. We love being a family. I love this season and all the memories it brings. I am so excited to keep making more. Keep the Spirit of Christ in your homes and hearts. We will too. Merry Christmas season!

Halloween and Fall Fun

Hey all. We've been having a lot of fun lately around here. Fall in Logan is seriously one of my favorite times. I know I've already said that but there are lots of fun traditions up here and this year I've gotten the chance to share them more than ever with Ben and Colson. Last week we took Colson to the annual Pumpkin Walk up in North Logan with Stacey and her boys. It is a fun little walk where people carve and paint huge pumpkin displays that go along with a theme. This year the theme was something along the lines of "A Walk to Remember." A lot of the displays had fun things from the past. There were displays featuring everything from M*A*S*H, cabbage patch kids, to old school Pacman and Super Mario Bros. There were also some displays showing more recent things like Despicable Me and Wreck it Ralph. There was one really cute display based on the book "Are You My Mother." They also have a lot of those boards with people and their faces cut out so you can stick your own face in. Ben had a lot of fun with those. We also celebrated Halloween by going to a ward trunk-or-treat, carnival, and dinner. Ben and I went dressed in pajamas like little kids and Colson was dressed as the monster in our closet. He was super cute. A big thanks to my mom for giving him the cute outfit that served as his costume. I tried super hard to get a lot of cute good pictures of Colson, but he didn't like to cooperate so I only have a few. But they are still good. Colson mostly just likes to wear his monster hat outside, not in the house. It is funny. Anyway, here are some fun pictures of what we've been up to. Hope you all are having as much fun as we are.

At the pumpkin walk

Cute little monster hat

Playing with Mason

How can you not love this cute little guy?

Colson and daddy

I'll call this one Coda

So I guess that makes this one Boda

All playing along

Ben got really into these

Me... I'm not as good at it.

Little wild thing...

Big wild thing.

Like I said. Ben loved them.

Colson's cute Halloween costume! Little Monster

Ben went to work as a Jack-O-Lantern

Colson and Daddy at the party

Like I said, he didn't like that hat inside. But it was the end of the night and he was getting tired.

So cute!

Love this little guy!

I am absolutely loving life right now. I have the cutest and best baby boy in the world and the most wonderful husband. I am truly blessed and am grateful every day to have them in my life. I wouldn't trade them for anything. I'm getting really excited to share even more with them each and every day.

3 Months

I can't believe Colson is 3 months old today! Time sure does fly by. It is so fun watching him grow and change. He is such a happy baby. He smiles and laughs quite a bit and loves having our attention. He makes the funniest faces sometimes and is just the best baby. I feel very blessed that he is still currently sleeping through the night very well. (Knock on wood now right?) I love playing with him every day. It is fun to see him get excited about things. I love when he wakes up in the morning and gets the biggest smile on his face when I come in to get him. It is so cute. He loves it when we sing songs. The other day, Ben was holding him and singing and Colson kept making noises and talking when Ben was singing. If Ben stopped, Colson stopped, and when Ben started again, Colson would too. It was super cute. Colson has been so much fun and we absolutely love having him in our family.

He's starting to reach and grab.

Happy baby!

He loves his toys.

Walking with daddy.

At the temple.

Cute sleepy boy.

Another happy one.

Silly face for tummy time.

Happy face for tummy time.

Cute boy!

Mom you do this way too much.

Colson laughing at mommy and daddy.

Hope you enjoy Colson as much as we do. We sure love him lots.

Fall Colors

One of my favorite things about Cache Valley is the way all the leaves and trees change colors in the fall. Growing up in the Salt Lake Valley, I never really liked fall that much. I felt like everything just kind of died then fell of the trees. When I moved up to Logan, however, that changed completely. I was amazed at all the beautiful colors of the trees and how long it lasted. Fall in Cache Valley actually lasted a while. (Even if it does mix with winter because of some early snows.) I love driving through Logan and Sardine Canyon this time of year. They are absolutely beautiful. They are filled with beautiful reds, oranges, yellows, and the deep greens of the pines. I love the way these are all right by each other accenting and contrasting one another. The leaves on the mountains change first, then after some time, the leaves in the valley begin to turn as well. It is one of the most beautiful things I have experienced. I also love to actually get out and do some walks or hikes in the mountains around this time of year. Yesterday, Ben and I took Colson on a little mountain stroll for his first experience with the beautiful fall colors. It was a nice little trip between sessions of conference that helped me to remember and know how much our Heavenly Father loves us. We live in such a beautiful world and He made it just for us to enjoy. And Cache Valley is like this little beautiful secret tucked away in Northern Utah. I think this is one of the most beautiful places ever. I am constantly reminded that Heavenly Father loves me when I spend time in this beautiful valley and surrounding canyons. I am excited to teach Colson about the world around him and teach him about Heavenly Father's creations for him. So it was good to go out and start now. And he seemed to actually enjoy the fresh mountain air. I know I did. Here are some pictures from our walk.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 "Whenever I hear the song of a bird
Or look at the blue, blue sky
Whenever I feel the rain on my face
Or the wind as it rushes by
Whenever I touch a velvet rose
Or walk by a lilac tree
I'm glad that I live in this beautiful world
Heavenly Father created for me.

He gave me my eyes that I might see
The color of butterfly wings
He gave me my ears that I might hear
The magical sound of things
 He gave me my life, my mind, my heart
I thank Him reverently
For all His creations of which I'm a part
Yes I know Heavenly Father loves me."

"My Heavenly Father Loves Me" Primary Songbook pg: 228